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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391675">The Titan-shifters' First Victory; the Fall of Wall Maria</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bertholdt's pov, Gen, Lets not forget they were only 12, Other, Shiganshina District (Shingeki no Kyojin), The fall of wall Maria, Yes we get it Bertoad you can see over the wall, attack on titan major spoilers, basically the fall of wall maria from bertholdt's pov, bertholdt reiner and annie infiltrate Wall Maria, proceed with caution if you arent up to date</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:55:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He wilfully pulled an elephantine leg back and summoned the endless amounts of strength that his Titan harboured.  </p><p>And he kicked.  </p><p>What felt like a lifetime of training, of careful preparation, of pain and sweat and endless competition, of clawing his way to the top- Bertholdt had worked so gruellingly hard for this moment.  </p><p>A vital moment.  </p><p>A kick.  </p><p>-</p><p>The Fall of Wall Maria, the event that is seared into everyone's memory- how could anyone forget such a terrible day?<br/>Mankind within the walls, for the first time in 100 years, encountered the titans once again. At least, that's their version of the truth. </p><p>Those from Marley think otherwise. For them, the Fall of Wall Maria was a great victory. The Colossal Titan, as sent by them, fulfilled his first duty and kicked down the first boundary separating the citizens of the walls from the real world. </p><p>[The Fall of Wall Maria, from Bertholdt's point of view]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Titan-shifters' First Victory; the Fall of Wall Maria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'll say this once more- spoiler alert! If you aren't up to date, I request you go and finish that and then return.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bertholdt stared up at the massive wall of grey looming over him, and the sun was so bright on this damned island he could barely see the top. The air here smelt so clean- even before, as he trekked across Paradis Island with Reiner and Annie, they had marvelled at the purity of the air, the absence of any pollution, but Bertholdt thought that wouldn’t be the case when they arrived at the wall. Then again, the people on Paradis weren’t as advanced in their technology as Marley was, from what little Bertholdt knew about them. </p><p>He didn’t know what he was expecting, frankly, and he didn’t know whether to be disappointed or not. He shook his head slightly, deciding that it didn’t matter- Bertholdt wasn’t here to sightsee, he was here on a mission.  </p><p>Reiner was sitting down on the lush green grass, another alien sight to Bertholdt. Marley barely had open green fields like this, and even if they did, Bertholdt hadn’t been to any of them- he only knew paved roads and rough sidewalks, and flowers were usually grown selectively and sold, not growing freely for anyone to see and smell like it was here.  </p><p>Then again, nobody ventured outside the walls on Paradis, not that Bertholdt was aware of.  </p><p>Not that Bertholdt cared.  </p><p>Annie broke the silence, picking a small campanula flower (Bertholdt had found that the flowers were all over Paradis Island, in large patches) from a nearby bush, twirling it in her fingers.  </p><p>“We should probably start the first part of our mission now.” She said, staring at the petals in between her fingertips. “No point waiting around for another titan. We don’t want another casualty, do we?” </p><p>She gave Reiner a direct glance with that statement, blunt as ever, and he got to his feet, nodding, avoiding eye contact. He brushed off his trousers, bringing out a dagger and handing it to Bertholdt, who took it without hesitation.  </p><p>“Where will you two hide?” He asked, the dagger poised above his palm. Reiner looked around, examining his surroundings, and gestured to a grove of trees nearby. It wasn’t too far, but far enough that Bertholdt’s transformation wouldn’t affect him, and he’d be safe from approaching titans. Annie was already gone, as was expected, and Bertholdt nodded again in understanding.  </p><p>He waited till Reiner was safely out of sight, and then he sliced his palm, ever so slightly.  </p><p>A little goes a long way.  </p><p>A booming clap of thunder shattered the tranquil atmosphere, and a stark white streak of lightning cut through the sky, gusts of wind wrapping themselves around Bertholdt’s figure in a windy prison, materialising into enormous amounts of pure muscle, forming a ginormous torso, a leg, an arm, encasing Bertholdt’s entire body- till the Colossal Titan stood in its full glory, 60 metres tall.  </p><p>Well, not quite stood, more like crouch, but Bertholdt could fix that.  </p><p>Bertholdt reached up with one of his arms, sluggishly slow due to his overwhelming weight, and he lay a humongous hand on the top of the outermost wall, heaving his cosmic body upright. His head, four times the size of even Annie’s and Reiner’s titans, peered over the wall, and he could see everything.  </p><p>He stared down at the humans below, staring up at him in fear. Their town was already slightly dishevelled, rocked by the after effect of Bertholdt’s transformation. A dead silence hung over the town, and as if a switch had been flipped inside all their hearts, they began to shriek at the same time, their cries of anguish and fear and panic so loud that Bertholdt could hear it clearly, even from 60 metres above. </p><p>He could see everything.  </p><p>He saw little children, gaping up at him, the expressions on their faces so flabbergasted to the point that it was almost comical, tears running down their small cheeks, so miniscule compared to Bertholdt. Mothers cradled their babies close to their chests, as of hiding them from Bertholdt’s endless line of vision would protect them from the inevitable calamity that was to come.  </p><p>Bertholdt could see everything.  </p><p>He saw people helplessly looking up at him, struggling to grasp that this was reality, that what they were seeing in front (or above, rather) was not a hallucination or a trick of the light; this was real, this was happening, their peaceful and stress-free days had all come to an abrupt halt at that exact moment in time.  </p><p>Bertholdt saw it all.  </p><p>Yet he couldn’t feel any sympathy for them, he couldn’t afford to feel remorse for their vulnerability, or regret for the toll he was going to take on their lives, their safety, their tranquillity.  </p><p>He wilfully pulled an elephantine leg back and summoned the endless amounts of strength that his Titan harboured.  </p><p>And he kicked.  </p><p>What felt like a lifetime of training, of careful preparation, of pain and sweat and endless competition, of clawing his way to the top- Bertholdt had worked so gruellingly hard for this moment.  </p><p>A vital moment.  </p><p>A kick.  </p><p>His Titan’s foot encountered the hard metal at the bottom of the wall, the gate that could lead a person in or out, and he pushed.  </p><p>Chaos broke loose.  </p><p>The thunderous impact blew a hole right into the wall, large enough for all titans to fit through (excluding himself, of course). Debris was sent flying, smashing buildings and people alike, smearing the ground with blood. Wild winds whipped the citizens below into a frenzy, and they all shrieked as they attempted to take cover, to find refuge, to escape the frightening fate that Bertholdt imposed upon them.  </p><p>Windows shattered and roofs collapsed, and even whole buildings were uprooted and flung about, smashing craters into the previously unmarked land. The noise was deafening, people screaming for their lives, the wind howling, the crumbling of stone and brick playing their part in masking Annie’s cry- she had transformed in all the chaos, and now used her Female Titan’s abilities to beckon all the Pure Titans to them.  </p><p>They were succeeding. Titans from across the Island answered the Female Titan’s cry, making their way to the wall, and completely slipped past her, ignoring the potential prey and heading for the concentrated swarm of humans.  </p><p>Bertholdt made his leave, slowly disappearing. He evaporated the Titan whole, willing the Colossal Titan to vanish as quickly as possible, and he ran for refuge in a cluster of trees, finding Reiner.  </p><p>The titans ignored them, stumbling straight past, smiling eerily, gazes fixed upon the hole Bertholdt had made in the wall, incoherent sounds of what Bertholdt assumed was pleasure bubbling out of their mouths. One by one, without rush, they marched into the wall, and the shrieks of humans, which sounded so much louder now, sent chills down the Colossal Titan-shifter's back. </p><p>To say Reiner looked... satisfied wouldn’t be accurate. Bertholdt couldn’t decipher his expression, but he didn’t have any time to ask, as Reiner turned to Bertholdt and thumped him on the back affectionately. </p><p>“It was a success. I’ll go do my part now.” He hurriedly whispered in Bertholdt’s ear, and Bertholdt had to strain to hear him. He ran out of his hiding place, and Bertholdt watched as he was almost trampled by a Titan’s foot, and as he dodged another, and then, with a flash of that familiar lightning, he became encased in the safety of his Armoured Titan’s body. He snatched Bertholdt in one hand, and he walked calmly, stiff as a soldier, to the wall. </p><p>None of the Pure Titans preyed on him, and he made it into the wall unscathed. Bertholdt had no idea where Annie was, but he decided that it was safe to assume she had made it in and was on her way to safety- her hand-to-hand combat skills were off the charts, and if anyone had spotted a girl running in with the titans, she’d probably disposed of them quickly.  </p><p>Bertholdt’s mind swam at the utter realness of the situation. As Reiner neared the second gate, the only gate into Wall Maria, Bertholdt looked back and saw the massive hole he’d made in the wall. It had seemed so small when he’d done it, when he’d been 60 metres above it, but now Bertholdt could properly see why the humans had been so frightened. He’d been able to see everything, but he couldn’t see the damage he himself had made- but now he understood with frightening clarity.  </p><p>Now he felt sympathy, now that he was no longer invincible and towering and bulky- now he feared the Pure Titans that swarmed the district, now he could properly see the blood and the ruin and even scattered limbs of people who had been smashed by debris or chewed by titans or even stepped on by Reiner.  </p><p>Reiner threw Bertholdt into some random, relatively intact house, and Bertholdt crashed through the window, his years of training allowing him to land on his feet in what was most likely a bedroom. A loud shriek was heard as he locked eyes with a young girl, brown eyes wide with fear, trembling, tears making their way down her face, cowering behind the bedframe, staring straight at Bertholdt like he’d dropped from the sky- which he did, supposedly.  </p><p>She looked around the age of nine.  </p><p>Only three years younger than Bertholdt himself.  </p><p>He stood, frozen, unsure what to do. He considered killing her right then and there, but the young girl probably just thought he’d been flung by some titan and landed in her house.  </p><p>“A-are you okay? Y-you just-!” she seemed to be in shock that he was fine, and that he was relatively unscratched despite the hell that was going on outside.  </p><p>Time was short. He had to scramble through the gate before he was chewed up by a titan, or before the last of whatever transport was taking humans to safety left.  </p><p>He decided to just run for it.  </p><p>And a good thing he did too, because as he ran out of the house and bolted down the street, he heard an ear-piercing shriek.  He turned, only for a split second, and he saw the girl, that nine-year-old girl, flailing in the fist of a colossal titan, probably a 15-metre class at the very least.  </p><p>How ironic that the Colossal Titan himself found a titan a quarter of his size colossal.  </p><p>He ran as fast as he could, his quick reflexes enabling him to dodge all the titans. He heard a thumping noise behind him, and he didn’t have to turn to know that Reiner was making his way forward. Men in uniforms were firing canons at titans, and Bertholdt weaved behind them, running through the gate.  </p><p>He’d made it inside Wall Maria.  </p><p>It was barren. All houses were deserted, the streets were empty, and even though there was no blood or shattered glass or discarded limbs, this seemed scarier than the district Bertholdt had just run through.  </p><p>He could hear a crowd yelling to his right, and he ran further, his lungs screaming in protest.  </p><p>People were elbowing their way onto a boat packed full of people, and Annie’s blonde head was nowhere in sight. For a twelve-year-old, she was quite short, the polar opposite of Bertholdt himself, who was the tallest twelve-year-old anyone had ever seen. Bertholdt refused to believe Annie was unsafe, he didn’t want to think about that.  </p><p>He clawed his way to the front of the crowd, and another uniformed man (Bertholdt had put the pieces together and decided that these were the police of some sort) grabbed Bertholdt’s arm.  </p><p>“How old are you, young man?” He shouted over the racket, and Bertholdt tried to look as weak and helpless as possible- which wasn’t easy, he was also taller than the officer- as he replied, “I’m twelve, sir!” </p><p>The man probably saw something in his face, or maybe he was just a good person, but he pushed Bertholdt roughly onto the nearest boat before removing the gangplank, slapping the side of the boat and yelling at the driver to move.  </p><p>The boat had only just begun to set sail when there was a loud thud, slowly getting louder as it neared the wall, and Bertholdt watched as the Armoured Titan burst through.  </p><p>The commotion grew louder and people beside Bertholdt on the boat began to mutter about how humanity was doomed.  </p><p>Bertholdt was inclined to agree. They were doomed. </p><p>Because Annie, Reiner and himself had gone through hell to get here, and they’d even lost someone on the way- but they weren’t going to leave empty-handed. </p><p>Bertholdt put his head in his hands, and he began to cry. Nobody said anything, they were all busy crying themselves, but Bertholdt began to realise the price that the people in the walls were going to pay, for the mistakes of their ancestors one hundred years ago.  </p><p>Bertholdt knew that feeling all too well.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope this was worth the read!<br/>I just liked the idea of it being told from one of the Warrior's points of view, and Bertholdt seemed like the perfect fit. Frankly, I don't understand why people dislike him so strongly, yet adore Reiner- to be honest, I prefer Bertholdt so much more. I mean, it makes sense why he barely used his titan, it was 60 metres tall and the slowest of them all, what could you expect?<br/>Feedback is immensely appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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